Packaging unit moulded from pulp materials with improved ventilation and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

A packaging unit from a moulded pulp material and a manufacturing method therefor. The packaging unit comprises a bottom part with product receiving compartments and a number of cones that are provided between the compartments, a cover part, a hinge configured for hingedly connecting the bottom part with the cover part, and ventilation bridges formed into the bottom part between adjacent product receiving compartments. The ventilation bridges provide void spaces in a bottom surface of the bottom part and allow for the continuous flow of air through the bottom part of the packaging unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A packaging unit comprising:
 a bottom part with product receiving compartments and a number of cones that are provided between the compartments, and the bottom part comprising a bottom surface, two side surfaces, a back surface, and a front surface;   a cover part comprising a top surface, two side surfaces, a back surface, and a front surface;   a hinge configured for hingedly connecting the bottom part with the cover part; and   at least one ventilation bridge on the bottom surface of the bottom part, the at least one ventilation bridge provided between two adjacent compartments and forming a void space in the bottom surface between the two adjacent compartments, the at least one ventilation bridge comprising two sidewalls and a top wall, wherein the two sidewalls extend upward from the bottom surface and include an upper arcuate portion adjacent the top wall.   
     
     
         2 . The packaging unit of  claim 1 , wherein the two sidewalls of the at least one ventilation bridge comprises a lower angled portion and an upper arcuate portion, wherein the lower angled portion extends upward from the bottom surface at a substantially constant inward angle and the upper arcuate portion extends from the lower angled portion with an increasing angle of curvature to the top wall. 
     
     
         3 . The packaging unit of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one ventilation bridge comprises a plurality of ventilation bridges in a spaced arrangement along both a length of the bottom part and a width of the bottom part, wherein the plurality of ventilation bridges define a plurality of continuous flow paths for the flow of air through the bottom part. 
     
     
         4 . The packaging unit of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one ventilation bridge has a height between 5 and 10 mm. 
     
     
         5 . The packaging unit of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one ventilation bridge has a width between 15 and 25 mm. 
     
     
         6 . The packaging unit of  claim 1 , wherein the void space defined by the at least one ventilation bridge has an area between 90 and 140 mm 2 . 
     
     
         7 . The packaging unit of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom part comprises at least two rows of product receiving compartments, wherein the at least one ventilation bridge comprises a ventilation bridge positioned between each set of adjacent product receiving compartments in each row of product receiving compartments and a ventilation bridge between product receiving compartments in adjacent rows of the at least two rows of product receiving compartments. 
     
     
         8 . The packaging unit of  claim 7 , wherein a total combined width of the ventilation bridges in each row of product receiving compartments is between 0.3 and 0.5 times a length of the bottom part. 
     
     
         9 . The packaging unit of  claim 7 , wherein a width of each ventilation bridge is between 0.15 and 0.35 times a width of the bottom part. 
     
     
         10 . The packaging unit of  claim 7 , wherein a height of each ventilation bridge is between 0.11 and 0.40 times a height of the bottom part. 
     
     
         11 . The packaging unit of  claim 1 , wherein the packaging unit is made from a molded fiber material. 
     
     
         12 . A packaging unit comprising:
 a bottom part with product receiving compartments and a number of cones that are provided between the compartments, and the bottom part comprising a bottom surface, two side surfaces, a back surface, and a front surface;   a cover part comprising a top surface, two side surfaces, a back surface, and a front surface;   a hinge configured for hingedly connecting the bottom part with the cover part; and   at least one ventilation bridge on the bottom surface of the bottom part, the at least one ventilation bridge provided between two adjacent compartments and forming a void space in the bottom surface between the two adjacent compartments, wherein a height of the at least one ventilation bridge is between 0.11 and 0.4 times a height of the bottom part.   
     
     
         13 . The packaging unit of  claim 12 , wherein the height of the at least one ventilation bridge is approximately 0.21 times the height of the bottom part. 
     
     
         14 . The packaging unit of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one ventilation bridge includes two outer sidewalls and a top wall extending between the two outer sidewalls, wherein the two outer sidewalls are angled inward and form an arcuate shape with the top wall. 
     
     
         15 . The packaging unit of  claim 12 , wherein each ventilation bridge has a U-shape and comprises a sidewall extending upward from the bottom surface, a top wall spanning across the sidewall, a void space below the top wall. 
     
     
         16 . A packaging unit comprising:
 a bottom part with a first row of product receiving compartments, a second row of product receiving compartments, and a number of cones that are provided between the compartments of the first and second rows, and the bottom part comprising a bottom surface, two side surfaces, a back surface, and a front surface;   a cover part comprising a top surface, two side surfaces, a back surface, and a front surface;   a hinge configured for hingedly connecting the bottom part with the cover part; and   a plurality of ventilation bridges formed into the bottom part, wherein the plurality of ventilation bridges comprises a ventilation bridge positioned between each two adjacent compartments in each of the first row and each two adjacent compartments in the second row and a ventilation bridge positioned between each two adjacent compartments of the first and second rows;   wherein a total combined width of the ventilation bridges in the first row of product receiving compartments is between 0.3 and 0.5 times a length of the bottom part.   
     
     
         17 . The packaging unit of  claim 16 , wherein the total combined width of the ventilation bridges in the first row of product receiving compartments is approximately 0.4 times the length of the bottom part. 
     
     
         18 . The packaging unit of  16 , wherein each ventilation bridge includes a height approximately between 5 and 10 mm and a width approximately between 15 and 25 mm, and a total void space area approximately between 90 and 140 mm 2 . 
     
     
         19 . The packaging unit of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of ventilation bridges forms a continuous flow path opening extending along an entire length of the bottom surface. 
     
     
         20 . The packaging unit of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of ventilation bridges forms at least one continuous flow path opening extending along an entire width of the bottom surface.